The Eyeshadow Blending Breakdown You've Been Asking For

I love to play around with eye looks, but I’m definitely a fan of well blended looks above all else. I've been asked numerous times how I blend my eye makeup out, so today, I'm going through my process step by step for you.

Here are the three brushes I use every time I wear two or more eyeshadows together:

I used to use just two brushes but I find I get a better blend with these three.

Step 1: Lids

I usually start with whatever color I want to wear on my lids first, using a standard eye shadow brush to apply it.

If I’m using a shadow that is more on the powdery side, I apply by patting the shadow on the lid; if I’m using something with a creamier or more buttery texture, I apply by sweeping it on slowly.

Step 2: Highlight

I like to do a brow-bone highlight so there’s a little more contrast in my look, but it’s not always a necessary step.

For this, I apply the lightest shade I’m going to use (usually champagne or white) to the area just under my brows with a stiff blending brush. I like to apply using this brush because I think it makes the highlight less stark.

Step 3: Crease

For the crease, I use the same brush I used in Step 2 to sweep a shadow slightly darker than my lid shade all the way through the crease. I run the brush back and forth multiple times over the same spot to make sure the color is really diffused.

Sometimes I like there to be a dramatic contrast between the crease and the lid, but most of the time I only use a shade dark enough to create a bit of depth and dimension to my eyes.

Step 4: Outer V

With the stiff blending brush again, I take a dark shadow and apply it to the outer edge of my crease and lid, forming a sort of V shape, and then close it off on the inner third of the lid like a triangle (although the edges are not as precise).

I really pack the color on here to create more depth and give me a little wiggle room when it comes to the next step.

Step 5: Transition

With a fluffy blending brush, I take a shade that is somewhere in between the highlight shade and the crease shade in terms of tone and sweep it back and forth in a windshield wiper motion in the area starting from my crease to the highlight shade. I let it overlap both the crease and the highlight just along each edge to diffuse any harsh lines. I also clean the brush off and then sweep it gently over the outer V a couple of times to blend that in a bit without getting rid of that nice shadow I created.

That’s basically it! My routine adjusts a bit depending on how many shadows I’m using, but this is a pretty standard eye look for me.